Steam engine



P. H. DARRAH..

v STEAM ENGINE- APPLICATION FILED QCT. n, 1920.

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STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED on. u. I920.

1,438,521, Patented Dec.12,1922.

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In V1977 d 01 alfal'iidiyg Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

rarest OFFICE.

PAUL H. DARRAH, OFF-BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

STEAIM ENGINE.

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial No. 416,031.

T 0 all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL H. DXRRAH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Berkeley, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented a ,new and useful Steam Engine, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention, while relating in general to engines, has reference more par ticularly to a steam engine of the rotary H type. The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved type of engine which will be simple in construction and op eration and also possessing other advantages which will be apparent from the following description, which will be made with reiererice to the accompanying drawings in which one form of the invent-ion has been selected for the purpose of illustration.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevationv of the engine; Figure 2 is a top plan view; Figure 3 is an end view of the engine head; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the stator with a portion broken away to show the rotor which is also shown with a portion broken away toshow the inside of two of the piston housings; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the guides for the piston rods with a portion broken away to show the anti-triction means; Figure 6 is a perspective View of one of the pistons, including the rod and the push block associated therewith Figure 7 is a perspective view of a horizontal memher which is associated with the angle plate which effects the rotary movement of the rotor, and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a frame arch. Referring now to the drawings in detail, the engine may be assembled on a suitable base (1) of any desired size or construction, and the engine. in its preferred form will comprise a stator (2) consisting of two arouate shaped sections adapted to be joined by bolts passing through the confronting flanges as at Supported by and free to rotate within the stator is a rotor This rotor i) is adapted to be enclosed for a portion or its length by the stator (2) with a series of annular grooves in its ClI'Cl'ltll'fBI- ence made to receive the rings (5) on the inner circumference of the stator so as to act as a guide for the rotor, and in this connection, oil from a suitable source, such as the cup (6), may be supplied through oommuni eating channels to the circumference of the rotor and in the grooves for the rings This together with the anti-friction bearings shown as at (7) will be suliicient to reduce friction to a minimum.

v The rotor will include a plurality of piston housings (8) which are arranged in spaced relation and longitudinal to the rotor and'with axial openings (9) through which the piston rods (10) of the pistons (11) are "free to reciprocate. Each one of the piston housings (8) as well as each one of the pistons (l1) and their rods (10) are identical in construction.

One end of the stator is provided with a flange (12) which more or less firmly'grips the rotor (4) while the opposite end of the stator (2) is closed by a plate which will embody in its construction a steam inlet chest (14) shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, and a steam outlet (15) also shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. The steam inlet chest (14) and the outlet or exhaust (15) are so arranged as to register withthe pistonhousings as they are rotated around the same. Connected in communication with the intake and outlet is a steam supply piping (16) and the exhaust piping (17').

A horizontal shaft (18) extends entirely throughout the length of the engine through the rotor, and terminatesv at one end with a pulley or wheel. (19) mounted thereon which is connected in driving relation with a pulley or wheel (20) by means of a belt or the like (21). Co-axially mounted upon the shaft of the pulley or wheel (20) is a beveled gear (22) which is adapted to mesh with the gear (23) which is carried upon the spindle (24) of the governor (25). Connected in operating relation with the governor (25) through the bell crank connection (26)-is an automatic cut-off valve (27) the purpose of which is to regulate the speed of the engine by opening or closing the supply (16) when the engine exceeds its pie-deters mined speed or drops below the desired speed to be, maintained. Mounted upon the opposite end of the shaft (18) is a wheel or the like (28) which may be used to derive power from the engine.

Each one of the piston rods is of a length to extend longitudinally of the engine almost to the end thereof, the purpose of which will presently be described.

Positioned at an angle to the axis of the rotor (4) is a plate (29) which is positioned vertically upon the base (1) and of a height at least that of the rotor. A tubular member (30) through which the shaft (18) passes extends from the plate (29) to the supportin standard (31) for the end of the shaft (18 Each one of the piston rods (10) extends through an annular slot (32) which is made in the piate (29) by producing an opening therein and presenting the flanged end of the tubular member within the opening. The diameter of the said fianged'end is suchas to leave the an. nular slot (32) between it and the edge of the opening in the plate. The ends of the pistonrods terminate through guide bearings (83) whichare arranged in spaced relation around the inner periphery of a rotatable ring. (34) which is mounted in a suita'ble mounting (35) positioned vertically upon the base (1). Thering (34) rotates freely Within its mounting (35). However, to reduce friction to the minimum anti-friction bearings or the like (36) may be employed for this purpose. Suitable flanges (37) may be employed to clamp the ring (3 1) in place upon the mounting as best shown in Figure 5. Oil for lubricating purposes may be supplied between the ring (34) and its mounting from the cup or the like i To lubricate the piston rods (10) a frame (35) is arranged adjacent the mounting (35) for the guides, which frame has a felt or the like wiper (35 on the side of its horizontal cross piece. Arranged above this wiper is an oil cup (38 which will drop oil on the wiper. As the piston rods revolve they will wipe against the wiper and thus bevoiled.

Carried upon each one of the piston rods (10) is a slotted collar or block (39) having a beveled face (40) presented toward the face of the plate (29) and with a locking device (41) arranged to maintain the collar or block in the correct position on the rod as well as to prevent longitudinal slipping of the same. In other words, each one of the blocks or collars with their beveled faces should be arranged to bear against the face of the plate (29). It is of course understood that the rotor (t) is permanently fixed upon the shaft (18).

' Steam being admitted from'a-ny suitable source of supply through the connection (16) and with one of the piston housings registering with the intake (14:), steam will be admitted to the housing and will act upon the piston to force the same outwardly: thereupon the force thus exerted will tend to slide its respective collar or block across the face of the plate (29) and as the rod is guided by the annular slot (32) it will impart a rotation to the rotor which will move the next piston housing in registering relation with the intake (14) which will of course act upon the piston housed therein in the same manner. lhus the desired continuous rotation of the rotor will be eflected.

The'shaft (18) being fixed thereto will impart rotation to the wheel or other driving element for deriving power from the engine and the opposite end of the shaft will drive the wheel (19) for effecting the desired governing of the engine.

I claim: I

l. A steam engine, embodying a rotor, a shaft extending through the axis thereof and fixedly mounted thereto, a plurality of piston housings in the rotor arranged parallel around the axis thereof, a piston in each housing, means for-admitting steam to the piston housings to reciprocate the-pistons therein, a rod on each piston extending exteriorly of the rotor in a plane parallel to the axis of the said shaft, guides through which the piston rods extend, an abutment on each piston rod having a beveled face, and an inclined abutting surface common to all of said abutments on the piston rods against which their beveled faces bear whereby the reciprocating movement of the pistons will be converted into a rotary movement of the rotor and impart a drive to said shaft. I

2. A steam engine embodying a rotor, a cylindrical casing in which the rotor is confined with freedom of rotation and r with annular guide rings on the inside circumference of the casing received in annular grooves on the outer circumference of the rotor, a shaft on which the rotor is fixedly mounted, said shaft extending axially through the rotor on opposite sides thereof, with a driving element on one end and a driven element on its opposite end, a plurality of horizontal piston housings in the rotor arranged parallel around the axis thereof, a piston in each housing, means for admitting steam to said housing to reciprocate the pistons therein and including governing means for controlling the port area of the steam admitting means, each of said pistons having rods extending exteriorly of the rotor in a plane parallel to the axis thereof, a guide for supporting the free ends of the rods with freedom of rotation and reciprocation and means through which the rods extend to said guide for converting their reciprocating movement into a rotary movement of the rotor for imparting a drive to the shaft.

3. A. steam engine embodying a rotor, a cylindrical casing in which the rotor is confined with freedom of rotation and with annular guide rings on the inside circumference of the casing received in annular grooves on the outer circumference of, the rotor, a shaft on which the rotor is fixedly mountec, said shaft extending axially through the "rotor on opposite sides thereof, with a driving element on one end and a' driven element on its opposite end, a plurality of horizontal piston housings in the rotor arranged parallel around the axis thereof, a piston in each housing, means for admitting steam to said housing toreciprocate the pistons therein and including governing means for controlling the port area of the steam admitting means, each of said pistons having rods extending exteriorly of the rotor in a plane parallel to the axis thereof, a guide for supporting the free ends of the rods with freedom of rotation and reciprocation and means through which the rods extend to said guide for converting their reciprocating movement into a rotary movement of the rotor for imparting a drive to the shaft, comprising abutments on the rods having beveled faces and an abutting surface common to all of said abutments arranged at an angle thereto and against which their beveled faces bear.

at. A steam engine embodying a rotor, a cylindrical casing in which the rotor is confined with freedom of rotation and with annular guide rings on the inside circumference of the casing received in annular grooves on the outer circumference of the rotor, a shaft on which the rotor is fixedly mounted, said shaft extending axially through the rotor on opposite sides thereof, with a driving-element on one end and a driven element on its opposite end, a plurality of horizontal piston housings in the rotor arranged parallel around the axisthereof, a piston in each housing, means for admitting steam to said housing to recipro cate the pistons therein and including governing means for controlling the port area of the steam admitting means, each of said pistons having rods extending exteriorly of the rotor in a plane parallel to the axis thereof, a guide for supporting the free ends of the rods with freedom of rotation v PAUL H. D RRAH, 

